Surveys to Help Feds Build HIPAA Audit Program

The HHS Office for Civil Rights, which is finalizing a HIPAA Audit program to assess compliance with privacy and security rules, expects in the near future to send pre-audit surveys to up to 1,200 randomly selected organizations.

OCR is looking to send pre-audit surveys to about 800 covered entities and 400 business associates. Receipt of a pre-audit survey does not indicate an organization will be audited, a spokesperson emphasizes. The pre-audit surveys are part of the learning process of developing the audit program.